Pumpsie Green, 1st African-American to play for Red Sox, dies at 85

Elijah "Pumpsie" Green, who made history by integrating the Boston Red Sox - the last team to do so - over a decade after baseball's color line had fallen, died Wednesday at the age of 85.

"Pumpsie Green occupies a special place in our history," Red Sox principal owner John Henry said. "He was, by his own admission, a reluctant pioneer, but we will always remember him for his grace and perseverance in becoming our first African-American player. He paved the way for the many great Sox players of color who followed. For that, we all owe Pumpsie a debt of gratitude."

"We salute the courage Pumpsie Green demonstrated 60 years ago when he became our first player of color," added Red Sox chairman Tom Werner. "Despite the challenges he faced, he showed great resilience and took pride in wearing our uniform. He honored us by his presence. We send our deepest condolences to Pumpsie's family and friends."

The Red Sox also honored Green with a moment of silence before Wednesday's game at Fenway Park.

Green, an infielder, first suited up for the Red Sox when he pinch ran for Vic Wertz at Comiskey Park on July 21, 1959. He made the Red Sox the last of baseball's 16 pre-expansion teams to integrate, 12 seasons after Jackie Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Robinson had been retired for nearly three years when Green arrived in Boston.

"At the time I never put much stock in it, or thought about it," Green told Danny Peary about his debut, according to Bill Nowlin of the Society for American Baseball Research. "Later I understood my place in history. I don't know if I would have been better in another organization with more black players. But as it turned out, I became increasingly proud to have been with the Red Sox as their first black."

Green played parts of five seasons in the majors, spending his first four years in Boston before playing his final 17 games with the New York Mets in 1963. He hit .246 with 196 hits, 13 homers, 74 RBIs, and 12 steals in 344 games as a big leaguer.

In recent years, Green returned to Fenway Park on multiple occasions. The Red Sox Hall of Fame named his historic debut a "Memorable Red Sox Moment" in 2018.

Born in Oklahoma, Green spent the majority of his life living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is survived by his wife Marie, daughter Heidi, and multiple siblings, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.